Decision 2008 Pompano Beach City Commission

March 9, 2008

THE JOB

City commissioner

Term: Two years

Duties: The six-member commission, including the mayor and vice mayor, vote equally on city policy that they determine and that is executed by the city manager and staff. The City Commission hires and fires the city manager, city attorney, city clerk and the city's internal auditor. Commissioners also serve as the board members for the city's Community Redevelopment Agency.

Qualifications: Residency in their elected district at least one year prior to the election; be a registered voter in the city and a resident in own district while holding office; cannot hold any other elected office while serving on the City Commission.

Professional: Retired business development and marketing executive at Citrix and IBM

Political: Never held public office

Civic: Rotary Club; Rotarian of the Year; director of Rebuilding Together Broward County (emergency repairs for low-income homeowners); Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Committee for four years until he stepped down in October to run for commissioner

How long have you lived in South Florida? Since 1984

How do you differ from your opponents? Providing leadership and vision and making a success of the eastern redevelopment effort is what I will do differently than the incumbent [Kay McGinn]. I am far more experienced and knowledgeable about city issues than Mr. Williamson.

How much money have you raised? $42,347

How much of that did you lend/give to your campaign? $20,000

Top 3 non-newspaper endorsements: County Commissioners Kristin Jacobs and Ken Keechl, the REALTOR Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale, and the Broward County Police Benevolent Association

How to contact: www.barrydockswell.com

What are your ideas on development in the city?

Delray Beach did a beautiful job of redevelopment on their Atlantic Avenue, and I want to replicate their process with a community redevelopment director who is an urban planning expert who has got a master plan with public input.

What are your ideas on funding the municipal budget after the property tax amendment vote?

I would not want to see essential services like police, fire and EMS cut, as I would think they are priority ones to remain intact. We've had a lot of crime in Pompano and people don't feel safe with homelessness and drug dealers. I would expect that we might have to scale back city positions, even leave some unfilled. It's going to be tough.

What are your ideas about the water shortage and future use?

In the reclaimed water, we're to be congratulated in the city and need to extend the purple pipes and offer reduced hook-up costs, and permitting costs are under the city's control. It's got to be obvious that it's a good deal and right now it's not obvious. Widespread use of the reclaimed water will help with the water shortage and perhaps we should make the current, once-a-week restrictions permanent for homeowners.

How do you differ from your opponents? Having been on the commission for 10 years, worked on capital improvements like Hillsboro Inlet Park and Marina, which could have been a restaurant, also new schools, other parks and infrastructure in water and sewer, and the Harbor Drive and Cypress Road streetscapes.

We can control development if we don't change zoning to allow more people to come in. I am the only one who votes against zoning code changes. I don't like New Urbanism, building taller and more dense and getting more people in to build and use mass transit. Uniformity of landscaping and streets I'm in favor of, but increasing density heights and decreasing setbacks so the city becomes more urbanized, you lose the hometown feel that you have right now.

What are your ideas on funding the municipal budget after the property tax amendment vote?